These Soldiers Deploy So Often They Now Have A Commando-Style Fitness Facility On Base

Joseph Swafford via ISAF Joint Command
Staying in shape is one of the top responsibilities of anyone in the military. But it's particularly important when deployed. Carrying a 50-pound rucksack while patrolling the mountains of Afghanistan will take its toll on a soldier who's not in top condition.

When Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Merritt, who once was the senior enlisted advisor for a Ranger regiment at Fort Benning, arrived at Fort Drum, in upstate New York, and saw there wasn't a gym dedicated to functional fitness, he made one happen.

The frigid conditions and hilly terrain already provide ample training opportunities, as of Nov. 16, it also has the Mountain Functional Fitness Facility, which opened Nov. 16. Two other gyms also got upgrades. Soldiers now won't have any excuse to not have a perfect core, keep lightening-quick speeds, or Herculean strength.